Bishop Gumbleton, the Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit has been a prophetic figure in the struggle for social justice in a wide range of contexts. He is the founding President of Pax Christi, the Catholic peace organization. He is outspoken against the war in Iraq and has made several visits to that country as a member of the peace delegation. He initially proposed to the U.S. Catholic Bishops that they address the struggles of parents of gay children. The result was the letter “Always our Children.”
Bishop Gumbleton addressed the contradictions between current Church teaching and the many calls for increasing GLBT participation in the Church, emphasizing that God wants each of us to live to his or her full humanness.

The AIDS Quilt
March 2004

Eight panels of the AIDS Quilt were displayed in the Chapel of Saint Joseph’s on March 2, 2004. An opening ceremony was held at 11:30 AM featuring thoughts and readings from all facets of the Saint Joseph’s community and the Quilt remained on display until 5:00 PM.

Hooking Up
December 2002

A panel discussion on the phenomenon of “hooking up” among college students. The impetus for this program was the appearance of a Saint Joseph’s student in a segment on “Good Morning America” on this topic. With her permission, the video was aired and followed by a panel discussion moderated by Sociology professor, Raquel Bergen and including Eve Jacobs from the Student Health Service Center and several students.

Gay and Catholic: What are the Choices?
Fall 2001

A panel presentation including a theologian explaining the teachings of the Church in a succinct yet comprehensive way; the national President of Dignity; the mother of a gay son; the pastor of a “gay-friendly” parish in Philadelphia; and a member of the gay/lesbian spirituality group in that parish. A representative from the organization “Courage” was invited, but when they learned that Dignity was on the program, they declined to participate.